


There's One Boy in the World for You (and he probably lives in Kansas)

by dreamedofwings (fabre)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: (except not really), Alternate Universe - High School, First Meetings, Happy Ending, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-05-13
Packaged: 2018-02-24 06:03:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2570807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabre/pseuds/dreamedofwings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It all starts when Castiel is little. A voice in the back of his head—the voice of another kid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's One Boy in the World for You (and he probably lives in Kansas)

**Author's Note:**

> A human AU where true soulmates can hear each other's voices in their head, but only when they're not nearby (and sadly, this is not common knowledge).

It all starts when Castiel is little. A voice in the back of his head _—_ the voice of another kid. A constant presence.

His parents don't worry at first, sure he's just going through a phase. But when Castiel turns five, six, eight and the voice still hasn't gone away (Dean, that's what he calls it _—_ gets so angry when they refer to 'him' as an 'it'), they start getting worried.

By the time he's ten, Castiel has been seen by what feels like every psychiatrist in the state of Illinois.

When he turns twelve, he's finally figured out he needs to lie to them. Dean's been telling him to do it for years _—_ he's told Cas all about how worried his own parents had been. Cas hadn't wanted to do it, sure he could get his parents to understand, but when he'd overheard them talking about institutionalizing him, he'd finally decided to act.

He knew he wasn't crazy. He couldn't explain it. It was a feeling in his gut, a certainty which felt as solid, as  _right_ , as Dean's voice in his head.

It takes time, but things in his house go back to normal. 

On his fifteenth birthday, his parents tell him they're moving to Lawrence, Kansas. Cas' dad has been offered a job there, and they think a new start in a new place will do them some good after... everything (they don't say it outright, but Cas knows what they mean _—_ he's always been smart, or so Dean says).

The move goes smoothly. The new house is bigger and brighter and as long as Castiel's got Dean, even if it's a secret, he knows he'll be okay.

It all goes to hell on his first day of school.

Cas is walking towards his first class and Dean is telling him about how much he hates having Biology first thing in the morning, how no one should be forced to dissect animals right after breakfast, and Castiel's just thinking how ironic that is, because one glance at his schedule reveals he's got Biology first too _—_ and how funny is that? He's thinking of mentioning this to Dean, who's in the middle of describing that one time that Chuck kid tried to set all the frogs 'free to pursuit their own destinies' when suddenly _—_ nothing.

There's silence.

_Dean?_  He tries, but there's no response.

For the first time since Castiel can remember, he's alone in his head _—_ and it terrifies him.

Cas draws in a shaky breath and leans against the classroom door (class started 5 minutes ago _—_ he should go in, he should...), trying to calm his panicking heart and remember how to breathe.

_DeanisgoneDeanisgoneDeanDeanDean_.

On the other side of the door, there's the sound of a chair falling to the floor, a mumbled apology and then hurried footsteps, and Cas has to step back, because suddenly the door to the classroom is bursting open and there's a tall teenager standing in front of him _—_ looking as pale as a leaf, green eyes frantic and wild, and probably two seconds away from losing his breakfast.

"'cuse me." he mumbles, and Castiel's heart stops.

He's never heard that voice before, but  _he could never forget it_.

Blue eyes snap to green, something like hope burning in his chest. His voice is a strangled whisper. "Dean?" 

'Dean' stares at him, gaping, and Cas would be amused if he wasn't probably sporting the same expression, "Cas?"

Saying his name out loud seems to spring Dean into action, and suddenly Cas is being squeezed against a warm chest, arms holding him in place like they'll never let him go, "Cas. Cas.  _Cas_ , oh god, Cas."

There are tears of relief in Cas' eyes and he's laughing, clinging to Dean like he'll disappear if either one of them lets go.

"You were gone.  _You were gone_ , Dean. I thought I'd lost you. I thought..."

Dean only holds him closer at that and buries his face against Cas' neck, and for a moment they just stand there, breathing each other in _—_ trying to calm down, trying to come to terms with the fact that  _they're both there, breathing, okay, together_.

When their Biology teacher finally follows Dean to see what's going on, Dean grabs Cas' hand in his and they take off running down the hallway.

Cas isn't the kind to skip school, but he thinks today _—_ just for today, it's justified.

He squeezes Dean's hand a little tighter.

He knows he'll be okay now.


End file.
